We need Robocop.

Dead or alive, you’re coming with me.

What I want to know is this: How is it that everything went down on Apr 18? Was there a full moon? Were the pollen counts extra high?

Indeed, I feel that Dick from OmniCorp might be behind this. Calling Officer Murphy!

The spike likely coincides with the nicer weather. Hey, crooks are like the rest of us: they love to frolic outside in the warm weather. That guy in Starbucks, though…probably too much caffeine.

Really, groping people inside a coffeehouse (presumably) filled with patrons and workers? That’s the oddball that doesn’t worry me nearly so much as the common street thugs.

I bet all of these crimes have one thing in common: the perpetrator took the Metro up to Silver Spring for some good ol’ crime on Silver Spring residents.

Georgetown residents have fought (and still fight) against any Metro rail expansion to their neighborhood. The reason is that the Metro brings “those people” at low cost to the affluent neigbhorhoods.

I wonder if the 3rd District of the Montgomery County police department can show a report of the residence of the perpetrators. I bet at least 90 percent of the criminals come from a DC and PG County zip code.

This is a statement about the terrible divide between the rich and poor and the races in this region. The fact that ex-cons cannot find employment–even for minimum wage jobs–leads them to make crime on people for survival purposes. Young black males continue to face discrimination for job opportunities.

Anyone who commits a sex crime is just a sick, disgusting bastard in my opinion. But I am noticing more homeless guys hanging around key points in Silver Spring. Some of the homeless guys are getting rather aggressive with their pan handling. From a socio-economic perspective, things are getting uglier and the poor are getting more desperate. This means more break-ins, muggings, and violent assaults.

The USA is descending into a banana republic.

To be fair, we don’t know for sure that it was black men who committed these crimes.

Also, the ghetto state of our Starbucks is truly sad. Sexual assaults? Not to mention graffiti and homeless people sleeping in the chairs. They put signs up trying to deter non-customers from hanging out, but it won’t stop the illiterate.

Post-yuppie solution: Don’t go to Starbucks!

This is sad to hear. Does anyone have access to data on crime rates in DTSS? I’d be interested to see year-to-year comparisons. Yes, I am too lazy/busy to bother looking this up myself.

Agree with IHY up to a point, but it’s not just economics which cause crime.

The man assaulted by approximately ten youths two weeks ago at 8:30, at the corner of my street, was robbed of his I-pod and whatever cash he had. These kids weren’t in it for survival, but for kicks (literally, too, as they kicked him in the head when he fell). According to the police, it’s a relatively new “thing” with the young ‘uns. They go into nice suburban neighborhoods en masse to commit assaults and petty thefts.

They’re not economically desperate, just anti-social creeps produced by dysfunctional parent(s).

On that note, once again I caution folks that if it’s evening and the streets are quiet, and you see a bunch of teens up ahead, cross the street or otherwise put much distance between you and them. DO NOT walk right into them assuming that they are decent human beings.

Saw an article on the Washington Post over the weekend referencing Capitol City Boulevard (sp?). I believe they are going to mandate a curfew after a certain time when minors are required to be in the presence of an adult with the goal of alleviating some of the “problems” they’ve been having - fights, stabbings and encourage businesses and attendance for the shopping area.

Why not institute that in down town as well? I absolutely hate the cat calls as one walks down the street from the Movie theater to Discovery at night.

Curfew, more police presence, hell even that little mosquito noise device turn them on after 10:00. It’s sad I no longer even bother hanging out in downtown Silver Spring at night anymore.

Not sure a 10:00 p.m. curfew would keep muggers and pervs off the streets. The mugging and sexual assaults listed above occurred before 7:00 p.m.

The shopping center with the curfew is called Blvd @ Cap Ctr. It’s an open-air main-street type mall opened a few years back on the old USAirways Arena site near the Beltway & Arena Drive.

You want to get rid of the teens? Here’s a solution:

1. Close down and redevelop City Place Mall.

2. Close down the Majestic multiplex cinema.

3. Tear up the turf and build a civic center.

4. Pray that Galaxy Billiards goes under.

The turf area invites teenage loitering. I used to like the turf but I think it is time to develop that property. Secondly, the Majestic is a huge draw for middle and high school age kids. I CAN’T STAND that place! Not because of the crappy over-budgeted, lousy-acting movies. It’s that the teenagers have ruined the theater going experience for everyone. Parents aren’t taking their kids to the Majestic. You have teens saying “Fuck This Shit” in front of kids. Couples would rather stay home and watch films on DVD than risk their lives and sanity at The Majestic. The juveniles are rude and loud in the theaters. I have seen fights erupt outside of the Majestic between kids. Hell, I heard there were fist fights IN the theaters. I will either go to the Silver AFI Theater or travel to Bethesda to catch movies. It’s really sad.

The Majestic Theater is a real cancer to other businesses along Ellsworth. I bet many business owners nearby do not have a favorable opinion of the theater. Talk about unfavorable reactions…let’s talk about Galaxy Billiards. This place is awesome for ONE thing only–lots of TeeVees for sports viewing. Otherwise, Galaxy Billiards has become a hang out for Gangstas and thugs recently out of prison. You see them smoking their cigarettes outside of the bar on Ellsworth. Scary looking dudes! There have been fights in and outside of Galaxy. Lots of teenage boys hang out in that place. I think there was a reported stabbing related to a dispute at Galaxy. Ellsworth will be Hellsworth as long as the mob of teens hang out there.

I would convert City Place into an office building with street side retail. The street side retail should be geared to adult consumer tastes. No place for the kiddies to shop. Good.

If these FOUR things happened–the teenage brats would have NO PLACE to hang out in Silver Spring.

I agree with pretty much everything IHY says.

It’s sad that what otherwise would be a great theater is ruined by kids who don’t have respect for anyone. I think the massive police presence required there says it all. When the inevitable first shooting finally happens, they’ll put up the metal detectors, but at that point DTSS will already be will be avoided like the plague by families.

One other thing -

If I were the man I was five years ago, I’d take a FLAMETHROWER to this place!

Occasionally the fates conspire to force us to the Majestic. Either our niece wants to see a movie there, or friends want to and it’s the only place playing at the right time. I have found that the only way to survive seeing a movie at that hellhole is to sit in the very last row, so that the only thing behind you is a wall.

But I agree: the Majestic is a plague upon DTSS.

I have been to the Majestic several times and I have not experienced the problems the other comments reference. It is definitely a younger crowd but they seem just as interested as I am in seeing the movie.

I am looking forward to the new civic center but for the time being I think what has happened with the artificial turf has been pretty cool. Have you actually checked out what is going on over there? There are kids break-dancing. Some are playing drums constructed out of trash cans. There are even kids playing what looks like dungeons and dragons or some other role playing. I think it’s great that they are out and about instead of hanging out in their basements.

I agree that City place needs a total overhaul especially because I feel like Silver Spring can support it.

Finally I have no problem with galaxy billiards. In fact it is really the only place to watch sports in the area. I think every urban area needs a sports bar.

IHY must have been in a different Galaxy Billiards than me. Whenever I go there (weeknights), it’s a young and reasonably decent crowd.

The “Get off my lawn, you damn kids” force is strong in this one.